A Hindu spiritual leader, Vasudevanand Saraswati, on Sunday urged Hindus to have 10 children, while speaking at the three-day “Dharma Sanstrukti Mahakumbh” organised in Nagpur, The Times of India reported. Saraswati asked Hindus to “discard the two-children norm”, assuring them that “god would take care” of the offspring.

The congregation of sadhus was backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Vishwa Hindu Parishad International Working President Pravin Togadia and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat were present at the event. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Assam Governor Banwarlilal Purohit and Nagour mayor Pravin Datke were also in attendance.

At the event, Togadia made a veiled attack at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and said the cow slaughter law remains vague. Bhagwat also shared Togadia’s views, the report added.

The RSS has long been pushing the idea that the population of Hindus in India is declining, while the numbers of other religious groups, sometimes referred to as “the other community”, are growing. Despite the Indian government’s population control concerns, the RSS has at various public events encouraged Hindus to have more children.